The Final Directive
by Bryon Nightshade
Summary: At the end of Sonic Adventure, two robots fought. One fought because it was programmed to do so. The other fought for quite another reason...


..

          Mission status update:

          Processing…

..

            E-102 γ ("Gamma") stood on the deck of the Egg Carrier. The giant airship had crashed and was now resting slightly offshore. Another creature might find the soft breeze and gentle rocking motion of the waves relaxing. Not Gamma. It couldn't 'relax' short of powering down, and it was by no means ready to do that.

..

          Mission status: incomplete

          3 out of 4 directives accomplished

          Incomplete objective: Find and rescue E-101 β ("Beta")

..

            New directives appeared. Though motionless, the robot was working furiously to accomplish its task. Data flooded its systems as it searched for clues about the location of its comrade. It explored all avenues, even tapping what was left of the Egg Carrier's computer system.

            A subroutine monitor noted something unusual. Normally, a robot's CPU was not expected—nay, not supposed—to devote all its processing power to a single task. It was true of any computer—rarely was all of its processing power actually in use. But the subroutine noted that the processors were far more single-minded about this task. Something seemed to be driving it on.

            Even the maintenance subroutines—those devoted to tracking hours spent powered up, remaining battery power, remaining weapon energy, and so forth—had their processing time squeezed out as Gamma worked.

..

          Image located…

          Computing probability…

          Approximately 58.67%

          Directive: Investigate

..

            Gamma had been working far too hard. The image had been in its own databanks all along. It was simply the case that the robot had not checked its own visual logs very thoroughly.

            The image was of Beta being overhauled inside the Egg Carrier.

            Gamma immediately moved out.

            With its knowledge of the ship, it reached the lab very quickly—yet that time was not wasted, for every second of transit time had been spent poring over the image and trying to determine how potent this new Beta might be.

            It arrived at the lab. Short work was made of the defenses. Gamma cracked the storage seals and stepped back to let the doors open.

            Beta appeared.

..

          Enter combat mode…

          Begin tactical analysis…

..

            Immediately Gamma set its systems to full combat status. All systems, servomotors, pseudomuscles and processors moved to their highest states of responsiveness, strength, and energy-consumption. Backup systems came online, the weapons system activated and hummed ready.

            Gamma took a few more steps backwards. Even as it tried to analyze its new opponent, Beta reared back. Gamma detected energy flowing through it in ever greater amounts.

            Beta discharged a blast of energy into the ceiling. The ceiling, naturally, didn't stay there.

            Before Gamma could take a single shot, Beta flew through the hole and out of the Egg Carrier.

            Robots don't feel depression.

            Robots don't feel frustration.

            Gamma coolly but quickly moved to return to the flight deck of the Egg Carrier. As before, not a moment was wasted; every moment was spent analyzing the brief contact with Beta.

..

          Possible target egress from area

          Probability of regaining contact with target if target flees: sub-optimal

..

            There was that—the possibility that Beta had simply fled. If Beta did, Gamma could not catch it. Beta obviously could fly, and with speed and endurance far beyond anything Gamma could hope to achieve.

            But robots don't feel depression. Even when they choose to say 'sub-optimal' rather than the actual number, that's no indication of feeling.

            Gamma reached the open deck and instantly picked up its target. Beta was hovering in the air, waiting for Gamma.

..

          Analysis: target exited Egg Carrier to make better use of mobility

..

            Yes. Beta had a significant maneuverability and speed advantage. Gamma was reading that, now. It had wanted to fight, but it wanted to win, as well. It was perfectly logical that up-top, the advantage was its.

            Gamma wasted no time. It raised its gun, firing off round after round. But Beta was moving impossibly quickly. No sooner would Gamma's computer read a targeting solution than Beta would jink, shift direction, invert, or maneuver to break the lock. Beta was simply wasting ammunition.

            Shot after shot flew uselessly past the blurry robot. Gamma's systems noted that it was expending energy at an alarming rate, but Gamma overrode the program on the principle that it would not have to fight again between this fight and a long recharge.

            Still, if Gamma's accuracy continued on in this way, this would be the last fight indeed…

            Gamma had never fought better. All its systems were operating at levels above the theoretical maximums.

            And still Beta danced in the air, impervious to Gamma's assault.

            Almost before Gamma could read what was happening, Beta lanced forward. Gamma barely dodged as its opponent barreled past, leading with one arm. Beta continued on past Gamma until it resumed a flying position on the other side of Gamma. Gamma turned again and the two faced each other once more.

            Gamma had seen the reason for the charge. Though Beta's 'arms' were hollow, on the end of each arm were dagger-like points, obviously for impaling.

            Gamma resumed its barrage, and Beta—almost mockingly—evaded every shot.

..

          Probability of engagement success dropping

          Warning: power supply levels falling

..

            It had been too long since Gamma's last recharge. It should have recharged before fighting Beta—but it hadn't known the fight would be so vicious, soon, or long.

            It hadn't even known for certain that a fight would occur.

            It knew that Robotnik had classified it as an enemy—ever since Gamma had begun its mission of hunting down its comrades, all robots had tagged it a foe. Beta couldn't help but know this.

            On the other hand, if Beta hadn't been active when Gamma had opened the lab, it could have accomplished its mission without needing to recharge.

            All these 'thoughts' went on inside Gamma's net, even as it fought. After all, Robotnik had included behavioral self-correcting algorithms in its program. Even though Gamma was in battle, those algorithms worked.

            Once more, every scrap of processing power Gamma could access was in use. One program continued to aim and fire Gamma's weapon. Another analyzed Beta's evasive maneuvers, looking for a pattern. Yet another gathered tactical data, analyzed it, and modified the firing program to compensate.

            And for all of that, Gamma couldn't even hit its opponent.

..

          Probability of engagement success dropping

..

            Gamma ceased fire to let its weapon capacitors cool. As soon as it didn't have to dodge, Beta faced Gamma and raised its arms.

            Once more Gamma detected high energy flow in its opponent, but this time alarm klaxons sounded, for it knew an attack was coming.

            Gamma leapt left, into the air, then immediately fired its booster and dodged right. The double-move was just enough to throw off Beta's targeting system.

            A ball of energy blew a big hole in the deck of the Egg Carrier.

            The wave of energy and subsequent vacuum tossed Gamma about, nearly upsetting its gyro stabilizers. Gamma struggled to regain its footing and get back in the fighting. It was helpless like this.

            It read another energy spike and activated its booster again. This time the shot was later; it missed Gamma cleanly and allowed the robot to make good its escape.

            Gamma quickly recovered and fired a few shots just to make Beta move around. Gamma used the time to re-orient itself and settle down.

            The two robots faced each other again, though now there were holes in the deck that would further limit Gamma's mobility.

..

            Tactical analysis complete.

          Probability of winning engagement: 5%

          Probability of escaping: 0

          Probability of mission completion: 0

..

            As a robot, Gamma had no visible reaction to this news. No trace of despair or resignation emanated from its metallic skin.

            It had no response to its proclamation of doom.

..

          Internal power reserves draining

          Warning: reserves below ten percent

..

            That was it, then. It had no way to win. Beta was invulnerable, and Gamma could survive only a while longer—even if it evaded Beta perfectly, its power cells would drain and leave it vulnerable, an easy kill.

            Gamma was beaten. It had failed its mission.

            Then, an odd thing happened.

            Robotnik had designed the E-100 robots with self-preservation, not mission completion, as the highest imperative—they'd taken a lot of effort to build and could learn from their mistakes, so he saw no reason for them to expend themselves.

            Yet in that moment, when Gamma's destruction was assured, the robot gained clarity.

            It would complete its mission.

..

          Plan complete

          Maneuver approved

          Execute

..

            Gamma sprinted forth at top speed, heading straight for Beta.

            The robot waited for it. Gamma was too close and approaching too quickly for it to use its energy beam, so it waited patiently, the blades on its arms glistening in the bright sunlight.

            Gamma strafed fire downwards, forcing Beta down until it was nearly on the deck. When they were a mere two meters apart, Gamma lunged.

            As expected, Beta brought its arm across. Every single blade sliced through Gamma's armor, mangling motors, cutting cables, leaving the robot crippled and helpless.

            Something approximating joy exploded throughout what remained of Gamma's CPU. Gamma had won. Its mission was complete—or would be in another moment.

            Inertia brought Gamma's gun arm up until it was aimed directly at Beta. At this close range, Gamma couldn't miss. It went for the kill. A single shot with all of Gamma's power reserves blew through Beta's armor.

            It hit the power plant directly.

            Secondary explosions blew entire chunks of armor and circuitry off of Beta's chassis. The power plant itself never actually exploded, but the energy surge fried every circuit in Beta's body.

            An explosion ripped open Beta's shoulder joint, and the entire arm detached. It fell, and Gamma fell with it.

            Gamma's damage report subroutines completed their work. It was dying. Too many components were destroyed. System after system was failing. No robot had nearly enough backups to survive such catastrophic damage.

            With a clunk Gamma's body hit the deck, still impaled on Beta's arm. Its power systems were failing, but it had the energy to turn its head a little and maintain optical sensors a little longer.

            It watched as Beta's chassis shuddered again and again as explosions rocked it. Gamma's CPU maintained vigil, searching vainly for the sign it wanted. Where was it? Where?

            Unknown inputs and stimuli began to intrude into Gamma's neural pathways. It realized, to an extent, what they were. As Gamma failed, the true being—its directives, thoughts, algorithms, procedures—was taking over the shared body. Incomprehensible as these directives and algorithms were, they were only distracting Gamma, limiting its processing power, making a bad situation worse.

            By now the power to Gamma's optical sensors was fluctuating. It had to maintain itself a little longer! It watched through dying eyes the final moments of Beta's death throes.

            Beta's entire chassis was blackened and charred, pieces of it missing and scattered about it on the deck; it would have been difficult to determine what it had once been strictly from what was left. But still, there was no sign of the objective.

            The robot felt despair.

            Even as its last fail-safes burnt out and its power cells ran dry, it maintained its vigil, watching for the reason, the motive.

            Beta's corpse shook one last time, and another hole blew out of its side. From that hole, a bird flew.

            That was it.

            That was the objective.

..

          Mission complete

..

            As it died, it made a few admissions to itself. Perhaps it had felt all those things. Perhaps that was simply the result of damage; as the robot was damaged, the creature inside had more control. Yet that didn't really change the essence of E-102 Gamma, did it?

            Well, Robotnik certainly hadn't included any philosophical subroutines, had he?

            No. But I DO feel these things!

            They have value; they were worth having.

            Yet I am glad I gave it up—it was worth it. To free my comrades… anything is worth it. My destruction is a small price to pay.

            The last few systems of E-102 Gamma collapsed. Its eyes went dark, its CPU went dead, its power lines went cold.

            But the last thing in its mind at the time of death was satisfaction.

..

          Mission complete

..

            A few minutes after E-102 ceased functioning, it began to fall apart. From its wreck emerged a small bird.

Bryon Nightshade

Disclaimer:  
This story contains characters and situations that are the property not of the author, but of one or more of the following: SEGA, Dic, Archie Comics. This story is copyright Sam Durbin, a.k.a. Bryon Nightshade, and is protected by all applicable laws and statutes.


End file.
